New-York tribune., 1887-04-24
MRS. AGNEW AND MISS DODGE.
THEY FIND PLENTY TO OCCUPY THEM

MRS. AGNEW AND MISS DODGE.
THEY FIND PLENTY TO OCCUPY THEM
VISITING SCHOOLS, ATTENDING MEETINGS AND
SOMETIMES INSPECTING PLUMBING.
al know that Mrs. Aguew and Miss Dodge have
been busly at work." said intimate friend of the
ladies the other day. @They earnest workers and
seekers after information in public school matters
but do not feel that they have been long enough on
the Board OF Education to commit themselves to
opinions that may be subject to decided change They
have collected 9 great amount of data regarding the
study the books used the order OF exercises
speoimens OF drawing and writing and other matters
coming within the soope of the special committees
whioh they are serving Miss Dodge kee % secretary
constantly at wotk arranging and copying papers and
otherw assisting her in her work The lKdios
especially desire the public to understand that they
are not reformers agitators but earnest workers
Miss Dodge has always taken special interest In public
education; but abe feels that uhe woman may do
much of tho earnest work OF the world. mans Is tho
public name, and woman OF refinement she natur-
ally shrnks ON being thrust into blaze OF publicity
Both ladies have been much grstifed by the reception
which their appointment has met with Ia ali parts OF
the country. The appointments have slready done
good teacher in the Normal College said to me
i can already feel the influence OF the appon tmens
In the greater respect shown women teachers
Both Miss Dodge and Mrs. Agnew are making
thorough visitation OF their special district and
general ection OF the districts outside their own
They have visited thirty OF the seventy schools and
eighty departments, besides the Normal College
aud the Scholarship st. Mary'a They go with Super
intendents to attend examinations and study the
special working of each school They have taken
special interest In visiting the lower AMI poorer wards
The children glad to see women Commissioners
and do appear to be much frightened as before
men, know that the ladies pay special attention 10
the sanitary condition of the school buildings they
visit; they examine the plumbing and always ask tor
the antor and take to visit the cellar to see that
kept clean and in proper order The jsntors are
sometimes non plussed By so thorough visitation
@'No commission asked to see the cellar before,
num- said one jantor pIaintively. l heard Mrs
Agnew say that she had to visit the root OF one schoo
building, where there leakage, and as she had
seen the building from roof to cellar, she fet that 1t
had been Thoroughly inspected in sanitary matters
They attend especially to oil matters relating to the
comfort OF the building and notice little things which
escape the attention OF men. No. / cannot tell you
anything about the condition OF cellars and plumbing
except that believe in every case when necessary
attention has been called to the defects 80 that they
have been or will attend to it,
1The ladies naturally desirous to to always In
their place and not to appear TO neglect tae re-
sponsibihty gwen them Tho business Of the board
takes up average half OF each day. Mrs. Agnew
has often attended meetings OF the board and oil COM
mittees four days 10 the week. Miss Dodge has
averaged about three meetings a week. The average
length of these meetings Is four or five hours and tho
ladies seldom get home till O'Clock In the evening
one night not till 8. Sinoo they have been on the
board they have psen moro and moro astonished at
the time the members give to their work. The gentle
men generally have their own personal business to
attend to, while the lady members usually have more
leisure during the day to visit tho schools aud OK.
anime Textbooks; but the position Is at best an
arduous one and know the ladies find their time
we'll filed They both speak cordially OF the reception
they have met with from other members OF the board
and from principals and teachers who have dono
everything In their power to furnish Information de-
sired"
REPORT OF MRS. AGNEw TO THE BOARD OF EsTI-
MATE AND APPoRTI0NMENT
Number Of teachers graduated by the Normal College
Ea%SeI graduate, who have taught in school .oo
Na%SsT q Isaci.E ;ssy is:s
(which svsrsgs q $50 20 per yea, s.c shqw!Rs nv
Average attendance for 1886 s.................. l439
Average attendsnce at Training iOOs
Total 2.5O2
Cost Of the College and Training Department for ~.
oe, ~, eaps in the coIisrs and Training Depart
ment-cbeaper than many OF the small grammar .
Dsd"esins the s2a 900 icT the training Department
Normal College is oSooo
OBJECT Normal School being train teachers for
Ss . and 0 al nS the s @
6 S H : Bs4 Of q wSs % . e the
Normal College claim that the work has been we'll dope and
the CITY and Of msmboI.
% q the % .a
coenss Pon as n s
do not recognize this upon which tho
discussed whether the Normal College has
reached tho highest point excellence In It's ann prepare
teachers TO meet the needs and demands OF
tho children OF city. There depart
ments OF study still unprovded for; these are 10 be
planned such estimated
qualified careful study OF tho question pre-
the proper aud place There 270O pu-
pills and rs instructors under the care Of the president
the Normal College, who also gives instruction in the
and practice teaching Tho labor OF this corps OF
not limited 10 the hours during which classes
session There the OF preparation necessary
member Of this 1t possible consequently
any pecuniary benefit
Q would the OF tho masses. must begin
with children and DO this provide them with
illustrate their tho character
hearts minds OF the chill
S@4 girl 10 stand in her
a 1t costs $llO 10
port girl she neglected and allowed drift into
format0ry where though she saved the fine edge
her womanhood has been dUllei.